ES
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
TW
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
dishonest and irresponsible
I strongly NOT recommend you booking your Kenya safari through Twinkle Star or its manager, James.
Based on our experience, he is either financially unreliable or intentionally dishonest — and either possibility is enough reason to stay away.
Here is what happened during our trip:
1. James disappeared after final payment
We booked an August 2025 safari and paid a 40% deposit in November 2024, then the remaining 60% a month before departure. After paying in full, I repeatedly asked James for hotel confirmation letters to make sure everything is OK.
However, he ignored messages, gave excuses, or disappeared for days. Even on the day we flew to Kenya, he still hadn’t provided any official confirmations. I contacted the hotels myself; two replied, but the one in Masai Mara refused to confirm anything unless through James — a clear red flag.
2. Hotel payment was not made
The day we arrived at our lodge in Masai Mara, staff informed us that James hadn’t paid for our rooms, and we could not check in. After almost two hours of calls, the issue was “resolved.”
This was especially frustrating because I had asked James about hotel payments the moment we met in Kenya, and he confidently said everything was settled. It was a lie!
3. Park entry fees were also unpaid
After two days inside Masai Mara National Reserve, our driver told us James had never paid our park fees. The park had only allowed us in because James kept promising to pay “soon.”
On the third day, they lost patience and detained us in the park administration parking lot. They insisted we pay the fees ourselves and even threatened that we might have to sleep in the car. We clearly didn't have that much money on us, even we have that's not our obligation to pay the fee.
We kept calling James but he just ignored calls, made vague excuses, or said he would “handle it tomorrow.”
The payment was finally made the next afternoon after we spent our night in park, and we were allowed to continue our safari.
4. Refund excuses for three months
Because of these incidents, our mood was ruined and we canceled a night safari and requested a USD 60 per person refund that James promised to send. We did not even ask for any compensation for the day we lost owing to the detainment, because James convinced us he is just a business man in financial crisis that time.
BUT Three months later, he still hasn’t refunded anything. Every reminder results in the same empty message: “I will send it by xx/xx, my brother.”
I am writing this review three months after the trip not only because I finally realized he never intended to refund us, but also because during these months, he shamelessly kept asking me to give him a five-star review—as if the refund would magically appear after I helped boost his ratings.
Honestly, who would give five stars after going through all this?
AT
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Absolutely magical stay at Selous Kinga Lodge - Asante sana!
We spent three days and four nights at Selous Kinga Lodge, and it was truly the highlight of our trip to Tanzania! The experience was unforgettable from the very beginning. We were picked up at our hotel in Dar es Salaam, and the team brought water for the long drive, snacks, and I even got a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Malik! 🥹 When we arrived at the lodge, everybody came to welcome us with warm smiles, a refreshing welcome drink, and a cool wet towel to help us recover from the heat. It was such a thoughtful and memorable start to our stay.
Our bungalow was stunning, beautifully designed and offering a breathtaking view over the Rufiji River. One evening at sunset, we even watched elephants pass by right in front of our terrace, which felt like something out of a dream. The playful monkeys around the lodge added so much charm to our stay, we love being close to animals, so this place felt like pure paradise!!
The staff at Selous Kinga Lodge was one of the biggest highlights. EVERY single person we met was genuinely friendly, warm, and attentive. Our room was cleaned perfectly every day, and the service was impeccable. The food was absolutely delicious, and as a vegan, I was impressed by how well they accommodated my diet, I truly enjoyed every meal! Also the lunch packs for the game drives were tasty, generous, and thoughtfully prepared.
What stood out most was how genuinely everyone cared about giving us a beautiful time. Throughout our entire stay, we felt that the staff went above and beyond in every possible way to make sure we were happy, comfortable, and enjoying every moment! That level of kindness and hospitality made our experience truly special. On our last day, all the staff came together, singing a song around us as they brought out a cake and a drink to say farewell. It was such a heartfelt, emotional surprise and truly the perfect ending to an already unforgettable stay.
Spending the evenings in the main bungalow was another lovely part of our stay. It has a cozy, homey atmosphere that makes you feel relaxed and completely at ease.
Leaving was honestly the hardest part. We were overwhelmed by the kindness of everyone working there and the beauty of the surroundings. Selous Kinga Lodge exceeded all our expectations and left us with memories we’ll cherish forever.
We are already dreaming of coming back. Thank you to the entire team for making our stay so special - you made our Tanzania trip truly unforgettable 🧡
ASANTE SANA!
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Efficient and reliable service, high standards
We did a day safari and it was just perfect. Efficiently organised, we saw all the animals including the big 5. Highly recommend for a short trip. Very good drivers and guides, extremely kind. Liaising with the manager was super efficient, via WhatsApp, we had a great time.
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderful safari with King David
We can wholeheartedly recommend Makini Tanzania Safaris. The safari was simply breathtaking. Our guide, King David, showed us his "kingdom" in all its facets, and the entire Big Five was on the itinerary. The trip was superbly planned, and the guide was simply outstanding. We had a wonderful time with an incredibly great group. Many thanks to Nancy and King David. Keep up the great work!
IT
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great experience for Budget Safari
We had a Great experience with our Guide Peter and our chef, 5 days safari. They were professional, and manager to show us all Big 5 Animals.
Food was prepared for us, tasting for european habits.
Raphael, the manager, helped us to decide the best option and follow us for reserve the safari. Greetings from Italy
CH
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Honeymoon Dream Safari
We chose Lion King Safari for our two-week honeymoon in Tanzania.
From the very beginning, we felt completely taken care of. The team at Lion King gave us excellent advice, listened carefully to our personal wishes, and designed an itinerary that fit us perfectly. Throughout the entire trip, their communication was fast, warm, and reliable — we always felt supported and well looked after.
The lodges and hotels they selected were absolutely beautiful, each with its own charm and wonderful service. Our safari guide, Suleiman, was fantastic: incredibly kind, a truly skilled driver, and extremely knowledgeable. He showed us so many animals and taught us a lot about wildlife and nature in Tanzania. Thanks to him, every game drive felt special and memorable.
The food throughout the two weeks was also consistently very good — another highlight of the experience.
We are super happy and will remember our amazing honeymoon for a long, long time. Thank you so much, Lion King Safari, for making our trip unforgettable!
DE
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was perfect
Thx lot. You have been the best Guide we possibly could get. Unbelievable what you have discovered for us, even while driving. I wish you all the best and hope to see you again. Thx and best Regards, Ingo
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional services brought me unforgettable safari and culture experiences!
From the beginning of the inquiry to the end of the tour, Martin from Shanjoy was very professional with quick responses and tailored to my needs for the touring days and hotel. From the airport pick up to drop off, every step was smooth. I felt I was in good hands. Their price was competitive with the others. They make sure I was happy with my experience during the tour. I saw the big five and lots of other amazing animals. I also visited the village of Maasai people and one of their houses. Great experience dancing with the Maasai. It was eye opening hearing and seeing how Maasai people keep their tradition. I loved every moment of the tour! Thank you Shanjoy for this amazing experience!
65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Fabulous Adventure
We did the 15 day tour from Harare to Maun. All three are all in our late sixties and my wife uses a wheelchair. We had the time of our lives. We were pleased we did the Zimbabwe section of the trip. It was our favourite country with the happy smiling people.
This is a fabulous and varied adventure. Simon and attend looked after us so well and made sure everything was good for us. Simons help with the wheelchair was brilliant particularly around the falls.
All of our accommodation was top rate, sometimes luxurious, sometimes truly amazing and the food always good. There were so many highlights it's hard to mention anything in particular.
All of the activities were well organised and we saw so many animals it was unbelievable. The pace of the trip is quite busy involving early starts to make the best safari viewing, so if you are getting on a bit like us, you can always plan an extra rest day somewhere. We did make a couple of changes to the trip in advance. Thanks to the very helpful people in the office for organising this.
Our transport was very comfortable and Simon stayed with us for the whole trip, always listening and willing to help.
I would wholeheartedly recommend Cuckoo Safaris. Great trip, friendly people and superb value for money.